In this episode, Kendra Johnson SVP Growth at ICA sits down with Cormac Acevedo Lean Coach at Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) – a nonprofit education, publishing, research, and conference organization dedicated to advancing lean thinking and practice across industries - for a preview of what he and his team will share at this year’s ICA Roadmap in Dallas. Cormac draws from his experience at the Lean Enterprise Institute to explain how lean principles can help car wash operators solve problems, improve processes, and create stronger, more resilient businesses.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why lean problem-solving is essential for car wash operators navigating today’s fast-paced environment.
• The critical difference between solving problems (reacting to issues) and solving for improvements (changing the process for the better).
• Why the ability to problem-solve is more valuable than ever in an industry facing workforce, supply chain, and operational challenges.
• The concept of “learn by doing”—why success doesn’t come from practice alone, but from experimenting, applying, and adjusting in real time.
• A preview of how Cormac and his team will help Roadmap attendees not only learn lean principles but also apply them to daily operations.
• An introduction to practical problem solving: what it is, its components, and how to make it part of everyday management.
• A breakdown of PDCA (Plan–Do–Check–Adjust), how it drives continuous improvement, and why it’s a cornerstone of lean thinking.

Episode Highlights

• (1:22) Best practices car wash operators need to adopt now
• (2:45) Problem-solving vs. process improvement explained
• (4:10) Why strong problem-solving skills are mission critical
• (6:22) “Learn by doing” and why it matters
• (9:27) How the LEI team will help audiences at Roadmap
• (12:09) What “practical problem solving” looks like in operations
• (14:40) PDCA and how it drives continuous improvement

Join ICA at Roadmap, November 3–4 in Dallas, TX, for two days of learning across Sales, Marketing, HR, and Operations. Registration is open now at carwashroadmap.com.

Listen to the full episode at carwashmagazine.com and subscribe to ICA for timely data, trusted insights, and business intelligence built for the car wash community.